Provides relative to certain housing developments in the city of New Orleans
Summary
HB 339 creates a new statute applicable only to the city of New Orleans that changes how certain low-income housing developments are treated under local zoning rules. Specifically, it applies to proposed low-income housing developments financed with low-income housing tax credits from the Louisiana Housing Corporation and removes those projects from the conditional use process in the city’s Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.
Under the bill, these qualifying developments would be allowed in any zoning district where residential dwellings are already permitted. The bill also makes them eligible for a development bonus under the city’s zoning ordinance and related city ordinance provisions, which could affect density, design, or other development standards tied to that bonus.
Impact
The bill would add R.S. 33:4740.1 to Louisiana law and override conflicting law for qualifying projects in New Orleans. Its practical effect is to limit the city’s discretion over certain subsidized housing proposals by exempting them from the conditional use approval process and broadening the zoning districts where they may be located. The measure would primarily affect the City of New Orleans, the Louisiana Housing Corporation, developers of LIHTC-financed housing, and local zoning and planning authorities.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be framed as a housing-supply and affordability policy intended to facilitate development of low-income housing in New Orleans. The absence of recorded discussion makes it difficult to assess the level of consensus or controversy.
Contention
The main point of contention likely concerns the balance between affordable housing production and local zoning control. Supporters would likely favor the bill for reducing procedural barriers to low-income housing and expanding where such projects can be built, while opponents may object to the state limiting New Orleans’ conditional use review and local land-use discretion. Another possible issue is the bill’s narrow application to LIHTC-funded developments, which may raise questions about fairness, neighborhood impacts, and whether the development bonus could intensify density concerns.